School daze

I feel like just throwing up my hands and saying, "Forget it!  We'll start over in August!". 

  

We've (I've?) had the hardest time getting back into a routine for school.  We started off the year so well last August.  Then in October we found out that we'd be moving (but who knew when or where).  Then the holidays came.  Then I went to Atlanta in January.  The house we were in sold at the end of January (closing in March).  That was crunch time, trying to find a new apartment; then of course, came the move.  And then we had our vacation. 

  

It's a wonder my kids have learned anything at all this year! 

  

For the most part this year, we've focused mainly on reading/phonics and math.  Mostly because we do use workbooks for those subjects, so its easy to see where they've made progress, as well as having "proof" that we did school (rather important in this hs-unfriendly state/town). 

  

Five in a Row, the program we're (supposedly) using for history, language arts, science, art & applied math) hasn't been done since before the holidays (is it okay to confess that here?).  I LOVE this program--life has just been so crazy.  I need to get back into it.  But, seeing how easily we threw it aside, I'm also wondering if its time for a change in curriculum.  Ah, you say, it must be spring!  When a homeschool mom's thoughts turn to new curriculum. 

  

Anyway, I've been scanning my Rainbow Resource catalog ( www.rainbowresource.com ), and I'm thinking of taking Eli out of the Alpha Omega Language Arts Lifepacs he has been using (he did all of 2nd grade and is just finishing the 3rd workbook for 3rd grade) and putting both he and Maddie into Learning Language Arts through Literature (grade 3).  I think it will be easier to teach them both at the same time (instead of having him in A&O and her in ETC--she's just started book 6).  

  

The fact is, though, as much as I make of Eli being a bit behind in reading, he's light years away from where Maddie is, and he's already learned (mostly) how to write in cursive.  I don't want the work to be boring and repetitve for him.  

  

I'm keeping all 3 kids in their School of Tomorrow paces for math.  Patience is still using ETC (Explode the Code) for her phonics.  We still haven't worked our way through Reading Made Easy.  

  

All in all, though, I'm thinking this will be a pretty light year, cost-wise, for curriculum.  I NEED to get on the ball with FIAR, but we already own most of the volumes and books.